10 October 2010

To all my Canadian friends I hope you have survived Thanksgiving with your belt buckles intact and retained the warm glow that comes from being thankful for all that we have...family, friends and a table groaning with awe inspiring dishes.

But what if you have fewer guests and you want to go hiking instead of spending all day in the kitchen? Well, the answer is here. Of course you can have this dish anytime since it is quick to prepare and bursting with fall flavours from the earthy taste of butternut squash and sage to the sweet tones of honey crusted chicken. Top it with crispy shallots and a side of wild rice and other aromatic rice with autumnal flavours and the sweet tang of apple and you have Thanksgiving on the "fly."

No crispy shallots in the photo since I didn't take the time to stage them for the photo... which was done in a hurry of course since hiking was in the cards...and what is that ghostly figure on the plate.....spooky......just a play of light...or is it?

In a small saucepan set over medium heat, simmer white wine and honey until liquid has reduced by a third. Add rosemary and pepper. Remove glaze from heat and set aside for basting.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large sauté pan, set over medium high heat, sear chicken breast, skin side down. Cook chicken breasts for 5-6 minutes, or until the fat has rendered, and the skin is golden and crispy. Remove from heat and let cool 2 minutes. Flip chicken.

Add butter to pan with chicken and place in preheated oven. Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through, basting with prepared glaze halfway through.

Add shallots to oil and cook until lightly browned, 2-3 minutes (they will continue to brown once removed from oil). While frying, be sure to move them around with a strainer/spider.

Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt.

Serve chicken over butternut squash and top with crispy shallots. Serve accompanied by Rice Dressing below.

Dried Cranberry and Pecan Rice Dressing: Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; add rice and return to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and broth is absorbed. If your rice mixture includes wild rice it will need to be cooked longer. Cook according to package directions.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

35 comments:

I'll be dreaming of this for the next day, as I am traveling and my food choices will be very limited. I haven't yet baked a butternut squash this season: I really like the way you prepared it in this recipe.

The chicken and the squash sound delicious, and so does that dressing. I definitely need to make that dressing- it has all the flavors I love, and it will go great with turkey too. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Perfect holiday meal! I love everything! That simple and fast glaze is no work at all and brings simple chicken breasts up about six notches. Beautiful. Love the squash and the rice dishes. Oh this is a great collection of recipes.

I love this autumn-focused dish! Isn't it amazing how the addition of just a few ingredients can make an outstanding recipe! In the spirit of Thanksgiving, just want to let you know that I'm grateful for having found you and your blog.

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 9 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.